JPH03256038A - Device and method for reading radiograph information - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently perform the read and the erasion of radiograph information with small-sized constitution in a short time by carrying a stimulable phosphor sheet in a reading part from a cassette, carrying it in the cassette from the reading part through an erasion part, and thereby performing the read and the erasion in parallel. CONSTITUTION:The erasion part 14 is provided between a cassette holding part 10 and the reading part 12 adjacently to the reading part 12 and a light shielding means 52 is provided between the reading part 12 and the erasion part 14. After the stimulable phosphor sheet A in the cassette B held by the holding part 10 is carried in the reading part 12 by a sheet carrying means 16, it is reversely carried to the cassette B. At the time of reversely carrying the sheet A, the radiograph information recorded from one end of the sheet A on the cassette B side to the other end thereof is successively read in the reading part 12. On the other hand, erasion is successively performed in parallel with read from one end to the other end of the sheet A which is carried out from the reading part 12 to the erasion part 14 through the means 52. Thus, the read and the erasion of the radiograph information are successively and efficiently performed in a short time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a reading method for reading radiation image information stored and recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet.

[Prior Art] As is well known, when a stimulable phosphor is irradiated with radiation, it accumulates the radiation energy, and when it is further irradiated with excitation light such as visible light, it responds to the accumulated radiation energy. A sheet of this material is used to record radiation image information of a subject such as a human body, and further to obtain the image information as a visible image. In this case, the radiation image information accumulated and recorded on this stimulable phosphor sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as a sheet) can be obtained by photoelectrically reading the stimulated luminescence light generated when the sheet is irradiated with the excitation light. Based on the image signal, a visible image is reproduced using a recording material such as a photographic light-sensitive material, a CRT, or the like. Then, the sheet on which the radiation image information has been read can be reused by irradiating it with erasing light from an erasing light source such as a fluorescent lamp or tungsten lamp to erase the radiation image information. Become.

A device that reads radiation image information from a sheet on which the radiation image information is recorded usually includes a cassette holding section that removably holds a cassette in which the sheet is stored so that the sheet can be taken in and out, and a cassette holding section that removably holds the cassette in which the sheet is stored so that the sheet can be taken out and taken out. The reading unit includes a reading unit that reads the radiation image information, and an erasing unit that erases the radiation image information after the reading, and the reading unit reads sheets stored in a cassette held in the cassette holding unit from inside the cassette. and after reading the radiation image information in the reading section, transporting the sheet to an erasing section, and further transporting the sheet toward the cassette after erasing the radiation image information in the erasing section. It is generally known that the cassette is re-stored in the cassette.

For example, in a reading device proposed by the present applicant (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-298333), the sheet is erased in the middle of a conveyance path in which the sheet is reciprocated from inside the cassette held in the cassette holding section to inside the reading section. A section is provided, the sheet in the cassette is conveyed to the reading section on the conveyance path, passing through the erasing section, and at this time, the sheet is read into the reading section while reading its radiation image information, and further After the reading is completed, the sheet is transported back from inside the reading section toward the cassette on the conveyance path and returned to the cassette. The radiographic image information is deleted. Such a reading device includes an erasing section between the cassette holding section and the reading section as described above,
The sheet is conveyed from the cassette held in the cassette holding section into the reading section and the radiation image information has been read therein, and the sheet is conveyed backward from the reading section toward the cassette in order to be returned to the cassette, and the radiation image information is read. Since the data is erased, the erasing section can be made smaller, and the cassette holding section and the reading section can be placed close to each other, so that the overall configuration of the reading device can be made smaller. be able to.

However, in this type of reading device, the radiation image information recorded on the sheet is erased after the reading of the radiation image information is completely completed, and the reading and erasing are performed independently. , it takes a relatively long time when the time required for reading and the time required for erasing are combined;
It was desired to shorten this time.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Taking these demands into consideration, the present invention provides an apparatus that can efficiently read and erase radiographic image information stored and recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet with a small configuration and in a short time. The purpose is to provide

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method that can efficiently read and erase the radiation image information in a short time.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a cassette holder that removably holds a cassette in which a stimulable phosphor sheet in which radiographic image information is accumulated and recorded is stored in a manner that can be taken in and out. a reading unit that reads the radiation image information by irradiating the sheet with excitation light, and a reading unit that is provided between the reading unit and the cassette holding unit and reads the radiation image information on the sheet from which the radiation image information has been read. an erasing unit that erases the radiographic image information by irradiating erasing light to the image; The sheet conveying means transports the sheet from inside the reading section through the erasing section into the cassette; and the light shielding means is provided between the reading section and the erasing section and prevents erasing light from leaking to the reading section. It is characterized by

The present invention also provides a method for carrying out a stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiographic image information is accumulated and recorded from a cassette in which the sheet is removably stored, and transporting the sheet to a predetermined reading position where the radiographic image information is read. a step of transporting the sheet transported to the reading position, and transporting the sheet back toward the cassette, irradiating it with excitation light during transport, and sequentially reading the radiation image information photoelectrically using stimulated luminescence light emitted from the sheet. and a step of erasing the radiographic image information by sequentially irradiating erasing light onto the sheet on which the radiographic image information has been read in parallel with this reading step.

[Function] According to the radiation image information reading device of the present invention, the stimulable phosphor sheet on which the radiation image information has been accumulated and recorded is transferred from the cassette held by the cassette holding section to the erasing section by the sheet conveying means. The paper passes through the reading section and is carried into the reading section, and is further transported from the reading section through the erasing section toward the cassette and returned to the cassette.

Then, when the phosphor sheet is conveyed backward from inside the reading section toward the cassette and taken out from the inside of the reading section, the excitation light is sequentially irradiated from one end on the cassette side to the other end within the reading section. Excitation light is irradiated by the means to generate the stimulated luminescent light, and at this time, the photoelectric reading means sequentially reads the radiation image information from the stimulated luminescent light from the one end to the other end of the phosphor sheet. be read. At this time, the phosphor sheet is sequentially carried out from the reading section to the erasing section from the one end where the radiation image information has been read to the other end, and in the erasing section, the phosphor sheet is irradiated with the erasing light by the erasing light irradiation means. The erasing light is sequentially irradiated from one end of the phosphor sheet to the other end, whereby the radiation image information is sequentially erased from one end of the phosphor sheet to the other end. At this time, the erasing light is blocked from inside the reading section by the light shielding means, and the radiation image information on the portion of the phosphor sheet inside the reading section is not erased.

Therefore, the radiation image information recorded on the phosphor sheet is sequentially read from one end of the phosphor sheet to the other end of the cassette side while the phosphor sheet is being fed backwards from inside the reading unit toward the cassette. Meanwhile, in parallel with this, the data is sequentially erased starting from the part where the reading has been completed.

Further, according to the radiation image information reading method of the present invention, similarly to the above, the radiation image information accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet is transferred from one end of the cassette side held at the holding position to the other end. While it is read sequentially towards the end,
At the same time, since the portion of the radiation image information that has been read is sequentially erased, the combined time for reading and erasing the radiation image information is shortened. Since the radiation image information is sequentially read and erased when the phosphor sheet is transported backward from the cassette to the reading position, this can be done at high speed. Become.

Therefore, the stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiation image information has been recorded is removed from the cassette, the radiation image information is sequentially read and erased, and then the stimulable phosphor sheet is returned to the cassette. This makes it possible to carry out the work of returning to the inside in a short time.

[Example] An example of the radiation image information reading device and the reading method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory sectional view of the reading device.

In Figure 1, this reading device is a stimulable phosphor sheet)
A cassette holding unit 10 that removably holds a cassette B in which a sheet A (hereinafter simply referred to as sheet A) is stored in a manner that it can be taken in and out.
, a reading unit 12 that reads radiation image information (hereinafter simply referred to as image information) accumulated and recorded on the sheet A, an erasing unit 14 that erases the image information, and a cassette holding unit 10 that stores the sheet A. Reading unit 12 from inside cassette B held in
The erasing section 14 is provided adjacent to the reading section 12 and between the reading section 12 and the cassette holding line 10, and the erasing section 14 is provided adjacent to the reading section 12 and between the reading section 12 and the cassette holding line 10. The tool 6 is housed in a case body 18.

The cassette holding part 1O has an opening 20 provided on the side surface of the case body 18 into which one end provided with an opening/closing lid of the cassette B can be inserted, and a case body 18 at the position of the opening 20.
and a support plate 22 extending horizontally from the side surface of the cassette B, and one end of the cassette B is connected to the opening 20 as shown in the figure.
By fitting the cassette B into the support plate 22 and supporting the cassette B on the support plate 22, the cassette B is detachably held in a horizontal position.

The cassette holder 10 opens the lid of the cassette B when one end of the cassette B is inserted into the opening 20 by a lid opening/closing mechanism (not shown).

The sheet conveying means 16 is connected to the opening 2 of the cassette holding section 10.
0, a pair of transport rollers 26a and 26b arranged vertically between the roller 24 and the erasing section 14, a guide plate 28 provided on the erasing section 14, and a reading section. Conveyor 30 provided in 12
When the cassette B in which the sheets A are stored is held in the cassette holding part 10 as described above, the carry-out/carry-in roller 24 is inserted into one end of the cough cassette B as shown in the figure, and the roller 24 is inserted into one end of the cough cassette B as shown. The lower surface of 24 is in contact with the upper surface of the sheet A. Then, the lower conveyance roller 26
b. The upper surfaces of the guide plate 28 and the transport conveyor 30 are at the same height as the lower surface of the sheet A in the cassette B held in the cassette holding section 10, and the upper transport roller 26
The lower surface of H is at the height of the upper surface of the sheet A and the distance between the tracks.

The sheet conveying means 16 first transports the sheet A in the cassette B held by the cassette holding section 10 from the inside of the cassette B toward the reading section 12 by rotating the carry-out/carry-in roller 24, and then Both conveyance rollers 26a
, 26b into the erasing section 14 and remove the guide plate 2.
The paper is conveyed while sliding on the guide plate 28, and is further transferred from the guide plate 28 onto a conveyor 30, and carried onto the conveyor 30 into the reading section 12. At this time, the conveyor 30 carries the sheet 8 into the reading section 12 until one end of the sheet A on the cassette side B reaches a position P of excitation light, which will be described later.

Further, the sheet conveying means 16 transports the sheet A to the reading section 1.
After carrying it into 2, the said sea)
The sheet A is returned to the cassette B held in the cassette holding section 10 by feeding the sheet A backward from the reading section 12 through the erasing section 14 toward the cassette holding section 10.

The reading section 12 includes an excitation light irradiation means 32 that irradiates excitation light Lx such as a laser beam onto the sheet A carried into the interior thereof when the sheet A is fed backward as described above; A photomultiplier 34 which is a photoelectric reading means for reading image information recorded on the sheet A by stimulated luminescence light Ly emitted from the sheet A when the light Lx is irradiated is provided inside.

The excitation light irradiation means 32 includes a light source 36 such as a laser light source, and excitation light Lx collected from the light source 36 through an optical deflector 38 such as a galvanometer mirror and a scanning lens 40 in this order.
The mirror 17 irradiates the excitation light Lx onto the sheet A that is transported backwards on the conveyor 30.
is made to be incident on the sheet A at a predetermined irradiation position P from the erasing section 14.

The photo multiplier 34 includes a light guide section 44 protruding toward the irradiation position P on its light receiving surface, and at the irradiation position P, the excitation light 1, x is irradiated onto the sheet A on which image information is recorded. At this time, the stimulated luminescence light Ly emitted from the C)A is received via the light guide section 44, and the image information of the C)A is photoelectrically read from the stimulated luminescence light Ly to create an electrical image. This is converted into a signal and output to the outside of the reading device.

The erasing unit 14 includes an erasing light source 46 such as a fluorescent lamp or a tungsten lamp, and a semicircular arc-shaped reflection plate 48 provided above the erasing light source 46 above the guide plate 28 inside. The erasing light irradiating means 50 is configured to send the sheet A carried into the reading section 12 backwards from the reading section 12 to the cassette holding section 10 via the erasing section 14. At this time, the erasing light Lz is irradiated directly from the erasing light source 46 onto the sheet A being conveyed in the erasing section 14, or from the erasing light source 46 via the reflector 48, thereby causing the sheet A to be erased. I am trying to erase the image information recorded on the .

Further, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 52 is a light shielding means for preventing the erasing light Lz from the erasing light source 46 of the erasing light irradiation means 50 from entering the reading section 12, and the light shielding means 5
As shown in the figure, a light shielding plate 54 is provided upright at the lower end of the case body 18 between the reading section 12 and the erasing section 14, and a rotary roller 30a on the erasing section 14 side of the conveyor 30
It consists of a light shielding roller 56 provided above.

The light shielding plate 54 is
The sheet A is provided with a slit section 58 through which the sheet A can freely pass through when the sheet A is conveyed between the reading section 12 and the erasing section 14, and the inner surface of the slit section 58 has a
Flocking material 60 such as terempu is implanted on the upper and lower surfaces of the holder so as to be in sliding contact with the entire length in the width direction.

The light-shielding roller 56 is configured to contact the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet A conveyed on the conveyor 30 together with the rotary roller 30a of the conveyor 30 while rotating over its entire length in the width direction. It has become.

Therefore, the light shielding means 52 transmits the erasing light Lz from the erasing light source 46 of the erasing light irradiation means 50 to the inside of the reading section 12 by using the light shielding plate 54 and the flocked material 60 planted in the slit portion 58 of the light shielding plate 54. In addition to blocking light from A,
Light shielding roller 56 and rotating roller 30a of conveyor 30
The erasing light Lz is shielded from light from the sheet A in the reading section 12 by
This ensures that the light is shielded from the light.

Next, the operation of reading and erasing image information recorded on sheet A using the reading device will be described.

When reading image information from the sheet A in which image information of a human body, etc. stored in the cassette B is recorded, first, as described above, the cassette B is held horizontally in the cassette holding section 10. and in this state the reading device is operated.

Then, when the reading device is operated, the sheets A in the cassette B are carried out from the cassette B by the sheet conveying means 16 as described above, and further conveyed through the erasing section 14 and the light shielding means 52 in this order. and is carried into the reading section 12.

At this time, the erasing light source 46 of the erasing light irradiation means 50 of the erasing section 14 is extinguished, and the sheet A simply passes through the erasing section 14, and one end of the cassette B side is at the irradiation position. It is carried into the reading section 12 until it reaches P.

Next, the sheet A is transported from inside the reading section 12 to the light shielding section 52 and the erasing section 14 by the sheet conveying means 16 in the opposite manner to the above.
are sent back toward the cassette holding unit 10 through
The cassette is returned to the cassette B held in the cassette holding section 10.

At this time, when the sheet A is carried out from inside the reading section 12 through the light shielding means 52 into the erasing section 14, the excitation light irradiation means 32 is applied onto the sheet A at the irradiation position P as described above. Excitation light Lx is irradiated, and the irradiation is
As the cassette holder 10 is gradually transported backwards, the sheathing is sequentially performed from one end of the cassette B side of the cassette A to the other end. When the excitation light Lx is irradiated, stimulated luminescence light Ly is emitted from the sheet A at the irradiation position P according to the image information, and further the stimulated luminescence light L
The image information is sequentially read from one end of the cassette B by the photomultiplier 34 from one end of the cassette B side to the other end as the cassette A is fed backwards.

On the other hand, during such reading, the erasing light source 46 of the erasing light irradiation means 50 is turned on, and the erasing light Lz emitted from the erasing light source 46 is transmitted to the sheet A from which the image information has been read. - As the cassette is sequentially carried out from the reading section 12 from one end to the other end and transported backwards through the erasing section 14 toward the cassette B, the cassette is placed on the sheet A from the one end to the other end. The images are irradiated one after another, thereby gradually erasing the read image information of the C)A.

Therefore, the image information is erased in parallel with its reading, and the image information is erased sequentially from the one end of the sheet A where the image information was read to the other end.

In this case, since the erasing light Lz emitted from the erasing light source 46 is shielded from the inside of the reading section 12 by the light shielding means 52 as described above, the portion of the sheet A inside the reading section 12 is not exposed to the corresponding part of the sheet A. The erasing light Lz is not irradiated, and the image information being read or before being read is not erased.

After that, when the sheet A passes through the erasing section 14 and is returned to the cassette B, the captured image information has been completely erased, and the cassette B, in which the sheet A is stored again, is held. If the sheet A is removed from the unit 10 and stored in the cassette B, the sheet A can be reused.

In this way, in this reading device, the image information recorded on the sheet A is sequentially read from one end of the sheet A to the other end, and the reading is completed in parallel with this reading. Since the image information is erased sequentially from the erased portion, the image information can be sequentially read and erased in a short time.

Also, the sheet A is transferred from inside the reading section 12 to the cassette holding section 1.
Since the image information is sequentially read and erased when the image information is fed backwards toward the cassette holder 10, the image information is read and erased sequentially.
This can be done at high speed when transporting the sheet A into the cassette B. Therefore, the sheet A is taken out from the cassette B, its image information is sequentially read and erased, and then the sheet A is transported again into the cassette B. The work of returning the interior can be done quickly and in a short time.

It should be noted that the reading device of this embodiment is based on the above-mentioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-2
Similar to the one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 98333, by providing the erasing section 14 between the cassette holding section 10 and the reading section 12, the erasing section 14 can be made smaller, and the cassette holding section 10 and the reading section can be made smaller. 12 are provided close to each other, making the overall structure of the reading device compact.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the radiation image information reading device of the present invention, the erasing section is provided between the cassette holding section and the reading section adjacent to the reading section; A light shielding means is provided between the reading section and the erasing section, and after the stimulable phosphor sheet in the cassette held in the cassette holding section is conveyed into the reading section by the sheet conveying means, a light shielding means is provided from inside the reading section in order to return it to the cassette. The phosphor sheet is transported backward toward the cassette through an erasing section, and during this reverse transport, the radiation image information recorded on the phosphor sheet is sequentially recorded from one end of the phosphor sheet on the cassette side to the other end in a reading section.
In parallel with the reading, the radiation image information is erased by sequentially irradiating erasing light from the one end to the other end of the phosphor sheet that is sequentially carried out from inside the reading section into the erasing section via the light shielding means. By doing so, reading and erasing of the radiographic image information can be sequentially and efficiently performed in a short time.

By reading and erasing the radiation image information when the phosphor sheet is fed back as described above,
The phosphor sheet can be transported at high speed from inside the cassette held in the cassette holding section into the reading section, and the phosphor sheet can be carried out from inside the cassette, and its radiographic image information can be sequentially read and erased. The work of returning the phosphor sheet back into the cassette can be quickly performed.

Further, an erasing section is provided between the cassette holding section and the reading section,
The erasing section can be made smaller by erasing the radiographic image information while transporting the phosphor sheet from inside the reading section back into the cassette held in the cassette holding section through the erasing section. At the same time, the reading section and the cassette holding section can be placed close to each other, and the overall structure of the reading device can be made compact.

Further, according to the radiation image information reading method of the present invention, after the stimulable phosphor sheet is conveyed from within the cassette held at a predetermined holding position to a predetermined reading position, the phosphor sheet is moved from the reading position to the cassette. When the phosphor sheet is fed back into the cassette through a predetermined erasing position, the radiation image information recorded on the phosphor sheet is read from one end of the phosphor sheet toward the cassette to the other end as described above. While doing it sequentially,
By sequentially erasing the radiographic image information from the part where it has been read, it is possible to sequentially read and erase the radiographic image information in a short time and efficiently, similarly to the above, and also to A series of these operations including sheet conveyance operations can be performed quickly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory sectional view of one embodiment of the radiation image information reading device of the present invention. 10...Cassette holding section 12...Reading section 14...Erasing section 16...Sheet transport means 32...Excitation light irradiation means 34...Photoelectric reading means 50...Erasing light irradiation means 52 ... Light shielding means A ... Stimulable phosphor sheet B ... Cassette Lx ... Excitation light t, y ... Stimulated luminescence light

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A cassette holding unit that removably holds a cassette in which a stimulable phosphor sheet storing radiographic image information is removably stored, and a radiographic image generated by irradiating the sheet with excitation light. A reading unit that reads information, and an erasing device that is provided between the reading unit and the cassette holding unit, and that erases the radiation image information by irradiating erasing light to the sheet from which the radiation image information has been read. a sheet conveyance unit for carrying the sheet stored in the cassette held by the cassette holding unit into the reading unit from the cassette, and further carrying the sheet from the reading unit into the cassette via the erasing unit. A radiation image information reading apparatus comprising: a light shielding means provided between the reading section and the erasing section to prevent erasing light from leaking to the reading section. (2) Taking out the stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiographic image information has been stored and recorded from the cassette in which it is removably stored, and transporting the sheet to a predetermined reading position where the radiographic image information is read. and a step of transporting the sheet conveyed to the reading position backward toward the cassette, irradiating the sheet with excitation light during conveyance, and sequentially reading the radiation image information photoelectrically using stimulated luminescence light emitted from the sheet. , a step of sequentially irradiating the sheet on which the radiation image information has been read with erasing light to erase the radiation image information in parallel with this reading step; .